Operating Manual

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

We have strayed from the intent of these words, starting with form a more perfect Union. We have let ourselves become a divided nation no longer focused upon a more perfect union, or the shape of a future that can accommodate our politics, our social values, our general welfare, our military, our finances, and our changing weather patterns. Competent financial planners always start their fact-finding sessions with personal questions about people like us who want to become clients: we the people …who we are and who we want to become during the years left to us, and what strategies we can agree to pursue together. Our nation’s original architects started their operating manual at the very same place. If we take a fresh look at their work, we might be inspired to tune up our national mechanism to run a bit smoother.